An•gli•can Pronunciation: \ˈaŋ-gli-kən\ 1:of or relating to the Church of England and churches of similar faith and order. Yin•zer Pronunciation: \ yin-sur\ 1: Resident of Western PA, particularly Pittsburgh. Known for their love of all things Stillers , Donnie Iris and hatred of Cleveland. Most prized possessions are their terrible towels. Diet mainly consists of Primanti Bros sammiches, perogies, Islays chipped ham, and jumbo. Tend to be Catholic, Orthodox, Presby - not so much Anglican

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Saturday, December 1, 2012

TULIP and Reformed Theology: Unconditional Election

By R C Sproul

The Reformed view of election, known as unconditional
election, means that God does not foresee an action or condition on our part
that induces Him to save us. Rather, election rests on God’s sovereign decision
to save whomever He is pleased to save.

In the book of Romans, we find a discussion of this
difficult concept. Romans
9:10–13 reads: “And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived
children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and
had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election
might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told,
‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau
I hated.’” Here the Apostle Paul is giving his exposition of the doctrine of
election. He deals with it significantly in Romans 8, but here he illustrates
his teaching of the doctrine of election by going back into the past of the
Jewish people and looking at the circumstances surrounding the birth of
twins—Jacob and Esau. In the ancient world, it was customary for the firstborn
son to receive the inheritance or the patriarchal blessing. However, in the
case of these twins, God reversed the process and gave the blessing not to the
elder but to the younger. The point that the Apostle labors here is that God
not only makes this decision prior to the twins’ births, He does it without a
view to anything they would do, either good or evil, so that the purposes of
God might stand. Therefore, our salvation does not rest on us; it rests solely
on the gracious, sovereign decision of God.

GOD DOES NOT FORESEE AN ACTION OR CONDITION ON OUR PART THAT
INDUCES HIM TO SAVE US. —R.C. SPROUL

This doesn’t mean that God will save people whether they
come to faith or not. There are conditions that God decrees for salvation, not
the least of which is putting one’s personal trust in Christ. However, that is
a condition for justification, and the doctrine of election is something else.
When we’re talking about unconditional election, we’re talking in a very narrow
confine of the doctrine of election itself.

So, then, on what basis does God elect to save
certain people? Is it on the basis of some foreseen reaction, response, or
activity of the elect? Many people who have a doctrine of election or
predestination look at it this way. They believe that in eternity past God
looked down through the corridors of time and He knew in advance who would say
yes to the offer of the gospel and who would say no. On the basis of this prior
knowledge of those who will meet the condition for salvation—that is,
expressing faith or belief in Christ—He elects to save them. This is conditional election,
which means that God distributes His electing grace on the basis of some
foreseen condition that human beings meet themselves.

Unconditional election is another term that I think can
be a bit misleading, so I prefer to use the term sovereign election. If
God chooses sovereignly to bestow His grace on some sinners and withhold His
grace from other sinners, is there any violation of justice in this? Do those
who do not receive this gift receive something they do not deserve? Of course
not. If God allows these sinners to perish, is He treating them unjustly? Of
course not. One group receives grace; the other receives justice. No one
receives injustice. Paul anticipates this protest: “Is there injustice on God’s
part?” (Rom.
9:14a). He answers it with the most emphatic response he can muster. I
prefer the translation, “God forbid” (v. 14b). Then he goes on to amplify this
response: “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I
will have compassion on whom I have compassion’” (v. 15). Here the Apostle is
reminding his reader of what Moses declared centuries before; namely, that it
is God’s divine right to execute clemency when and where He desires. He says
from the beginning, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” It is not on
those who meet some conditions, but on those whom He is pleased to bestow
the benefit.

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About Me

Senior pastor and rector of the Anglican Parish of Christ the Redeemer in the South Hills (Canonsburg PA) formerly St David's Anglican Church (ACNA) Peters Township PA, husband of Gale, father of Greg and Hannah (both grown up and married), grandfather of Matthew and Henry, and Aadhya and co-care taker of our dog, a PBGV named Sherman (after the tank). Graduate of Trinity School for Ministry, MDiv 1986, DMin 2017. Named an honorary canon of St Matthew's Cathedral, Diocese of Masindi-Kitara, Uganda, October 2012 by Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali. Elected to the Executive Committee of the ACNA 2017